modeller military illustrated
£6.50 - Dec’15 (issue 056)
Euro Militaire 2015 • Scratchbuilt Springer • Ho-Ni SPG • and more…
www.militaryillustratedmodeller.com
SALADIN DAYS
9 770268 832071
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AFV edition
Dragon’s 1:35 Saladin Mk.2 armoured car in detail
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Contents
modeller military illustrated
ISSUE No.056 December 2015
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18
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NEWS
Military model product news
‘TEN HUT!
Sixteen new military kits on parade
EURO MILITAIRE 2015
MiM visits the AMPS show; here’s a photo-report from the event
16 ORDNANCE DEPOT
New and recent accessory sets and modelling materials
18 SALADIN DAYS
Stan Spooner builds Dragon’s Saladin in 1:35
26 NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION!
Converting a Flak trailer into a water bowser
28 SHELF QUEEN: T-70
Jorge Alvear builds and Murat Özgül paints a winter-whitewash finish on MiniArt’s T-70 Soviet light tank
34 SCRATCHBUILT SPRINGER ‘304
34
Scratchbuilding an Sd.Kfz.304 ‘Springer’ medium explosives charge carrier
42 IJA TYPE 3 HO-NI III
Building and painting Fine Molds’ 1:35 HO-NI III tank destroyer
48 SHANGHAI SWIMMER
Chris Lloyd-Staples builds The Vickers-CardenLoyd amphibious light tank from CAMs (Combat Armour Models)
58 FRANCE’S TINY TOUGH TAXI
We open the box on Tiger Model’s 1:35 Panhard VBL armoured car
60 BOOK REVIEWS
Military model-related book reviews
62 THEODOR BRUNO KANONE A WW2 German railway gun at Torigni sur Vire, Normandy
66 SIGN OFF
Dioramas to build before you die…
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AFV Edition
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News NEWS JUST IN...
TAMIYA
1:35 M4A3E8 SHERMAN
AFV CLUB
Tamiya’s new 1:35 kit of the ‘Easy Eight’ Sherman with its late-war HVSS (horizontal volute spring suspension) is on its way soon. The kit uses the recently tooled HVSS suspension from the IDF M1 Sherman with new hull and turret parts for the new release. Expect great fit of parts and accurate profile. www.hobbyco.net
1:35 Bilstein-Drehkran 3t auf Büssing-NAG 4500A pocketbond.co.uk
BRONCO
1:35 Panzerkampfwagen Mk.IV 744(E) (A13) w/ UE trailer 1:35 Horch Fu.Kw (Kfz.15) radio car 1:35 Horsa Glider wings and rear fuselage hannants.co.uk
DIOPARK
BRONCO
1:35 VICKERS TETRARCH LIGHT TANK
The WW2 British Tetrarch light tank is sure to be a popular release, only available until now as a resin kit. Bronco’s release will feature all of this company’s fine detail and high-quality engineering. Also on the way from Bronco is the Mk.II variant of the Horsa glider with hinged cockpit and the sWS with 60cm IR ‘Uhu’ searchlight. www.hannants.co.uk
HONG 1:35 ZSU-23-4M/M3 SHILKA
This new manufacturer is to release a new-tool kit of the Russian Shilka anti-aircraft tank and from what we’ve seen so far, it looks most impressive. More news soon. www.hongmodel.com
PANZERSHOP
1:35 Pz.Kpfw.IV mit Panther F Turret 1:35 Tiger I ‘Tunisian Initial’ 1:35 German 3t 4x2 cargo truck w/2cm FlaK38 hobbyco.net
ICM
1:35 L1500A soft top 1:35 T-34-76 late 1943 production hannants.co.uk Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B Tiger II Weekend Edition eduard.com
MINIART
WWI all
Using their recent GAZ chassis, MiniArt are to release the fueltanker version complete with snow tracks and the chance of an eye-catching camouflage scheme. www.creativemodels.co.uk
DRAGON
EDUARD
ne on
MINIART 1:35 BZ-38 REFUELLER
1:35 WWII British Royal Marines Soldier Set A 1:35 WWII British Royal Marines Soldier Set B revell.de/en
MINIART 1:35 SU-122 INITIAL PRODUCTION
MiniArt are to launch this fantastic subject in kit-form; the Soviet Su-122 SPH, and it will come with a full interior. Potentially, very impressive. www.creativemodels.co.uk
1:35 US Motorcycle WLA w/rifleman 1:35 US armoured bulldozer 1:35 T85E1 workable track links for M24 Chaffee 1:35 T72 workable track links for M24 Chaffee 1:35 German artillery crew creativemodels.co.uk
RIICH
1:35 Maschinengewehrwagen 36 hannants.co.uk
TAMIYA
1:48 Horch 108 staff car hobbyco.net
THIS MONTH IN TAMIYA MODEL MAGAZINE… TAMIYA 1:35 PANTHER AUSF.D This month’s edition of Tamiya Model Magazine (October, No.242) features a detailed article on all-new Panther ausf.D. Order now at; www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com
VT-55A CONVERSION
This resin conversion set provides a complete replacement upper hull, track guards, crane and exterior fittings, plus Friulmodel T-72 tracks, Eduard Zoom set, further PE, decals, wire and a CD with instructions and reference photos. Just add a Tamiya T-55A! MN www.panzershop.cz
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Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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NEW in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series NEW How to Build The Steel Wheeled Tiger I A New and revised edition of the ultimate guide to building the Tiger I Steel Wheeled version by Angus Creighton. The new revised edition includes: ■ Early-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit with factory zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Late-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit, Dragon late pattern road wheels, extra frontal armour, no zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Dragon’s 1:35 Tiger I (SPzAbt 510 1944-45), ModelKasten transport tracks ■ and more...
NOW SHIPPING VER O C E L SAMP
Only
COMING SOON
HOW TO BUILD... The Rubber Wheeled Tiger I by Angus Creighton
.95 £13 s p&p plu
ALSO AVAILABLE Visit adhbooks.com for details PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW ON TEL: 01525 222573 FAX: 01525 222574
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The Steel Wheeled Tiger I book HOW TO BUILD... STEEL TIGER Name ..................................................................................................................... Address................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................
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P&P: UK; £2.00 Europe; £4.00 World-Wide airmail; £6.00 Cheques payable to: ADH Publishing Ltd.
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‘TEN HUT! BRONCO, HONG KONG
AFV CLUB, TAIWAN
1:35 MÖSERZUGMITTEL 35(t)
1:35 M60A1 PATTON MAIN BATTLE TANK
ITEM NO.CB35196 www.hannants.co.uk
Bronco’s Pz35(t) is an excellent kit that comes with a detailed interior and with the turret missing, all the lovely internal detail can be seen. Very fine detail, individual track links and a comprehensive suspension system. A good number of very small parts will require tweezers and good eyesight!
ITEM NO.AF35060 www.pocketbond.co.uk
AFV Club’s completely new kit of the US M60A1 ‘Patton’ tank has some appealing inclusions in the box. As well as a lathe-turned gun barrel and excellent one-piece tracks, the model also comes with a mantlet cover moulded from a flexible material that will allow a close fit to the turret, plus some very fine PE mesh for the turret bins
DRAGON, HONG KONG
HOBBYBOSS, CHINA
1:35 PZ.KPFW.VI AUSF.E TIGER I
1:35 SOVIET SS-23 SPIDER TACTICAL BALLISTIC MISSILE
ITEM NO.6820 www.hobbyco.net
This is Dragon’s latest Tiger I, depicting the Early Production variant as it would have appeared in Tunisia with Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504. The model is a ‘Smart Kit’ which means it comes with a reduced amount of photo-etch (which will delight many modellers) plus one-piece flexible tracks moulded in tan-coloured ‘DS’ Dragon Styrene. Heaps of Dragon’s superb detail on every surface, of course
ITEM NO.85505 www.creativemodels.co.uk
This is a spectacular kit of the Soviet SS-23 launcher vehicle, done with the familiar Hobbyboss flair. The model is based around a substantial ventral channel which fits into the amphibious hull. A detailed cabin interior is provided and the nuclear SS-23 missile is well detailed, as is its bay. A fine kit of a highly mobile, Cold War tactical nuke platform
ICM, UKRAINE
REVELL, EUROPE
1:35 L1500A SOFT TOP WWII GERMAN PERSONNEL CAR
1:72 SD.KFZ.7 + 8.8CM FLAK 37
ITEM NO.35529 www.hannants.co.uk
This is the canvas-topped variant of the ubiquitous Mercedes-Benz L1500A personnel car and the kit is executed with ICM’s impressive panache and attention to detail. The model comes with a detailed engine and drivetrain and the cabin interior is beautifully executed too. A refined model kit of an important WW2 German vehicle
RODEN, UKRAINE 1:72 FWD MODEL B 3-TON LORRY ITEM NO.733 (IM, WS) www.pocketbond.co.uk
Roden’s boxart is usually dramatic and this one is no exception - it’s very eye-catching! The driver figures are not included unfortunately but the rest of the kit is a little beauty that will build and paint up well
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Some of the latest military kits to drop onto the Military Illustrated Modeller reviews desk
ITEM NO.03210 (IM, WS) www.revell.de/en
The combination of the Sd.Kfz.7 halftrack and dreaded 8.8cm Flak 37 gun makes for a very appealing package, with plenty of parts (some tiny) to keep the modeller going for weeks. Very fine detail throughout
RYE FIELD MODEL, HONG KONG 1:35 PZ.KPFW.VI AUSF.E SD.KFZ.181 ITEM NO.RM5001 www.ryefield-model.com This kit comes with dark grey, articulated tracks. A clear sprue is supplied for the various vision devices and a sheet of photo-etched brass provides the engine screens. It looks enticing in the box, with some very nice detail touches
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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Materials: IM: injection-moulded R: resin PE: photo-etch WS: waterslide decals SVT: soft vinyl tracks/tyres AT: articulated tracks ITL: individual track links PBM: pre-built model VF: vacuum-formed AGB: alloy gun barrel MW: metal wire CPF: clear plastic film
TAKOM, HONG KONG 1:35 WWII GERMAN 12.8CM FLAK 40 ZWILLING ITEM NO.2023 www.pocketbond.co.uk
One of Takom’s latest kits is the mighty twin 12.8cm ‘Flak 40’ anti-aircraft gun. With a maximum vertical range of over 48,000 feet, no Allied aircraft were safe. In Takom’s kit, the guns can elevate and traverse. A fascinating subject with excellent detail. An excellent kit of powerful and deadly AA gun, with some big diorama potential – 1:35 Flakturm anyone? Just add crew figures
TAKOM, HONG KONG KRUPP 21CM MÖRSER 10/16 ITEM NO.03.01.2032 (IM, PE, WS) www.pocketbond.co.uk
The WW1 German 21cm Mörser forms the subject of this release and it’s a great subject choice. Well detailed without being over-complex. Muzzle-rifling is taken care of with a PE strip
TAKOM, HONG KONG
TAMIYA, JAPAN
1:35 MK.A WHIPPET TANK
1:35 M24 CHAFFEE US LIGHT TANK
ITEM NO.2025 www.pocketbond.co.uk
Takom’s Whippet kit comes on seven sprues of grey polystyrene, with a bag of individual track links, a small photoetched fret and decals for four British machines, one captured tank in German camouflage, the single Freikorps Whippet in overall grey with skull and crossbones symbols and a Russian Red Army tank in green. Another historic model for the collection!
ITEM NO.37020 www.hobbyco.net
This is Italeri’s kit from the mid1980s, with a set of hard plastic link-and-length tracks and a metal gun barrel. Tamiya’s contribution consists of three sprues of stowage, jerrycans, 50.cal MG, ammunition cans, commander figure and decals, plus new, boxart and instructions of course. A solid kit even after many years in/out of production; the Tamiya sprues breath life into it
TAMIYA, JAPAN
TRUMPETER, CHINA
1:35 M247 SGT YORK US AIR DEFENSE GUN SYSTEM
1:35 SOVIET 2S7M SELF-PROPELLED GUN
ITEM NO.35126 (IM, SVT, WS) www.hobbyco.net
Tamiya’s kit of the flawed but impressive-looking Sergeant York AA tank is back. Even after thirtytwo years it’s still a cool model and would look great with a treatment of modern weathering techniques
ITEM NO.05592 www.pocketbond.co.uk
Trumpeter’s kit comes in the familiar grey plastic favoured by this maker and is equipped with a set of glue-together, individual track links with separately moulded guide horns, a neat touch. Surface detail is exemplary in all areas and fit of parts appear to be up to Trumpeter’s usual high standard. A big and mean subject and an equally imposing model. Very refined detail
TRUMPETER, CHINA
ZVEZDA, RUSSIA
1:35 RUSSIAN 1K17 SZHATIE
1:35 SOVIET CAR GAZ M1
Trumpeter’s kit uses the excellent hull and running gear from their Msta-S kit, with a newly moulded turret featuring the laser array. The laser covers can be fitted in the open positions to reveal the clear-moulded laser lenses, a nice touch. Another bold kit from Trumpeter, depicting a Soviet rarity in fine detail
Zvezda have seriously raised their game with this kit; it is extremely finely detailed, featuring open bonnet-louvres and a convincing carpet texture on the cabin floor. Even the bulbous tyres look correct
ITEM NO.05542 www.pocketbond.co.uk
ITEM NO.3634 www.hobbyco.net
AFV Edition
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NEWS EXTRA: MODEL SHOW REPORT - EURO MILITAIRE 2015 FOLKESTONE UK
EURO MILITAIRE 2015 8
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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MiM’s Editor drives south to experience the famous Euro Militaire show in held in Folkestone, Kent
T
his year’s Euro Militaire show had a slightly different feel to it, at least in the competition rooms ‘downstairs’. For many years the armour modelling categories seemed to be continually expanding, while the figure section held steady, but my initial impression this time was a noticeably reduced quantity of AFV models but a much larger input on the figure side. This suggests that the show is returning to its roots as a figure-modelling event
and boy, was there some fantastic work on show, from modellers around the world. The busts category was overflowing with stunning pieces from every conceivable era and there were also some eye-popping entries in the full-figure class too, from the ancients right up to the modern day. The First and Second World Wars figured heavily of course but the fantasy group was also very well supported, with some extraordinary pieces of work that exhibited the
wonderful imaginations of the modellers. The trade hall seemed down on last year’s show with very few vendors selling kits of AFVs and accessories, most being figure makers and sellers, further reinforcing the feeling of the return to figure modelling for Euro Militaire. Over the next few pages, you can see a small selection of the models that caught my eye; my apologies to those whose work doesn’t appear, there just wasn’t enough space! •
AFV Edition
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NEWS EXTRA: MODEL SHOW REPORT - EURO MILITAIRE 2015 FOLKESTONE UK
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‘The fantasy group was also very well supported, with some extraordinary pieces of work’
AFV Edition
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NEWS EXTRA: MODEL SHOW REPORT - EURO MILITAIRE 2015 FOLKESTONE UK
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‘My initial impression this time was a noticeably reduced quantity of AFV models but a much larger input on the figure side’
AFV Edition
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NEWS EXTRA: MODEL SHOW REPORT - EURO MILITAIRE 2015 FOLKESTONE UK
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‘The trade hall seemed down on last year’s show’
AFV Edition
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ORDNANCE DEPOT New and recently issued kits and accessory sets for armour modelling projects
AMMO MIG JIMENEZ, SPAIN
ACRYLIC PAINT SET
T
his set of colours for the painting of modern ammunition is extremely useful as it offers a one-box solution for all the common colours found on current AFV and artillery ordnance. All that’s needed now is a set of decals for the data usually found on each item. MN ●
Modern Ammunition A.M7129
BRONCO MODELS, HAULER, CHINA CZECH T REPUBLIC MILITARY ACCESSORY
his little kit of the 2.8cm schwere Panzerbusche builds up into an accurate representation of the gun and trailer, requiring very little additional detailing to make into a first-class model. For both the gun and the trailer, the wheels are moulded separately in order to get an outstanding representation of the tyre tread on all surfaces. CLS 1:35 2.8cm SPzB41 on larger steel-wheeled carriage, with trailer (CB35141) ●
ICM, UKRAINE
MOULDED FIGURE SET
I
CM have been creating some very appealing figure sets lately and the newest is a set of four Sikh Rifles soldiers (British Army, 1942). Two of the soldiers are dragging a fallen comrade by his webbing straps to safety while another covers them. The mouldings are very finely detailed while the head-sculpts have plenty of character. The set comes with three Lee-Enfield rifles (fixed bayonets) and a Thompson sub-machinegun, all of which look accurate and are delicately moulded. An excellent release that recognises the heroism and dedication of the Sikh units. MN ●
1:35 Indian Sikh Rifles 1942 (35564)
RESIN IMPROVEMENT, CZECH REPUBLIC RESIN DETAIL SETS
T
hese packs contains inner and outer wheels for two wheel stations on a T-34 tank; to replace all of the wheels on a vehicle would involve buying five packs of these wheels. What is included in the pack are finely cast resin wheels, with very good detail, and with plain tyres. The wheel hubs are of the type with no reinforcing plate in the centre, making them suitable for mid to late WW2. The two parts glue together with superglue and line up precisely. Great castings in resin, good sharp detail. CLS ● ●
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1:35 T-34 WHEELS, VARIANT 1 (35001) 1:35 T-34 WHEELS, VARIANT 2 (35002)
RESIN/PE DETAIL SET
T
hese resin ‘Mars’ boxes have casting plugs that cover most of the lower surface and these will need to be removed using a saw or power tool to cut away a fair amount of resin without damaging the beautiful detail. Take care when doing this, to avoid inhaling resin dust. The end result is most certainly worth it, however, with excellent potential for dioramas involving factories or repair shops. Removal of casting plug will need a lot of care. CLS ●
1:35 MARS CONTAINERS (HLU35076)
EDUARD, CZECH REPUBLIC PE DETAIL SET
S
ome very useful photo-etched brass detail parts for ICM’s excellent new 1:35 kit of the Horch Typ108 staff car. MN
● Horch Typ 108 (36325) for ICM
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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DEF MODEL, KOREA RESIN/PE DETAIL SETS
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h e latest batch of resin, PE and alloy barrels has arrived from DEF Model and as ever, they are for current model kit subjects. Tiger Model’s recent 1:35 Panhard VBL and AMX-10RCR get fully re-engineered wheel/tyres with cast-in weighted bulges and Tamiya’s 1:35 JGSDF LAV kit gets a concise but useful PE sheet which includes a resin bedroll, rivets and light lens. Wonderful products that will enhance a wheeled AFV as much as a set of Friuls will improve a tracked vehicle. MN 1:35 sets ● French LAV Panhard VBL wheel set (1) with masks (DW35084) For Tiger Model ● AMX-10 RCR 6X6 wheel set with masks (DW35085) For Tiger Model ● Dorchester/Matador wheel set with masks (DW30034) For AFV Club ● SpPz 2 Luchs wheel set (1) with masks (DW35081) For Takom/Revell ● SpPz 2 Luchs wheel set (2) with masks (DW35082) For Takom/Revell ● SpPz 2 Luchs wheel set (3) with masks (DW35083) For Takom/Revell ● US M1082 LMTVT Michelin XML set (1) (DW35078) for Trumpeter ● US M1082 LMTVT Goodyear MV/T set (2) (DW35080) for Trumpeter ● M4A3E8 Sherman canvas cover set (DM35053) for Asuka ● M4A3E2 Jumbo concrete front armour w/76mm barrel (DM35052) for Asuka ● JGSDF LAV basic PE detail set (DE35011) for Tamiya ● US Marines Korea winter (set 1) 1950/51 (DF35001) ● US Marines Korea winter (set 2) 1950/51 (DF35002) ● 76mm M4 Sherman M1 barrel M4A2, M4A3E2, IDF M1 etc., (DM35049) ● 76mm M4 Sherman M1A1C barrel M4A3E2, M4A3E8, IDF M1 etc., (DM35050) ● 76mm M4 Sherman M1A2 barrel M4A3E8, IDF M1 etc., (DM35051)
FRIULMODEL, HUNGARY METAL TRACK SETS
A
s always, Friulmodel’s new track sets cover a wide range of eras and vehicle types, from WW1 to the modern day-ish. The WWI British ‘Whippet’ medium tank is a popular subject at the moment and whilst the kit-supplied tracks are good, there’s nothing quite like a set of metal links for weathering, polishing and sheer natural weight. The mighty ‘Maus’ super-heavy tank gets its own track set and it is one of Friul’s more complex productions, with a faithful reproduction of the vehicle’s vast, multipart links in miniature, quite simply marvellous. MN 1:35 sets ● Versuchsflakwagen 8.8cm Flak (41/37) ausf Sonderfahrgestell (ATL-111) ● Marder 1 A1/A2/A3/A4 (ATL-113) ● Whippet/Little Willie (ATL-146) ● Maus (ATL-162) ● Challenger 2 early-type track (ATL-163) ● Churchill early-type track (ATL-164)
WHERE TO BUY? AMMO, MIG jimenez; www.migjimenez.com BRONCO; www.hannants.co.uk DEF MODEL; www.defmodel.com EDUARD; www.eduard.com www.creativemodels.co.uk www.hannants.co.uk AK INTERACTIVE; www.creativemodels.co.uk FRIULMODEL; www.friulmodel.hu HAULER; www.hauler.cz ICM; www.hannants.co.uk RES-IM; www.res-im.cz
AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 BRITISH ARMOURED CAR SALADIN MK.2 • Kit No. 3554
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SALADIN DAYS: THE FIRST SIX-WHEELED SULTAN Stan Spooner loves his armoured cars, so when Dragon released the Saladin in 1:35, he couldn’t wait to start building. But does the kit do the subject justice?
W
hat can I say; I like modelling wheeled armoured vehicles. When I first saw that Dragon was going to do a 1:35 kit of the British Saladin Mk.2, quite simply, I was overjoyed. The vehicle was named after the first sultan of Egypt and Syria who was apparently quite the warrior during the Crusades. Although I wasn’t overly familiar with the service history of the Saladin Mk2, I love the way it looked. Short, stocky and it looked like it packed a punch, much like myself! Okay, I don’t look like I pack-a-punch, it’s more like I’ve eaten-a-bunch! That aside, it still looked like a wonderful subject and I was hoping that building this kit would be a good experience, contrary to some of the things I had heard about building other Black Box editions by Dragon. When the kit showed up, I quickly opened it up
and look through a moderate amount of plastic. Everything looked fairly clean with crisp detail. Upon further review, I noticed a couple of things that were going to have to be dealt with in the building process. The first thing was that some of the details were simplified and quite honestly, sort of boxy looking and lacking refinement. The shovel was one of these items (there was no saving it, I just replaced it!). There wasn’t a lot of subtlety or finesse with certain details, so I knew extra attention was going to have to be paid in certain areas to make this model truly look good. Another thing I noticed was that key details were missing, such as the .30cal machine gun and its mounting bracket on top of the turret as well as the travel lock bracket. Other details such as the ever-present tow cable and its attachment brackets
were missing, the back of the muffler structure and any muffler pipe are all completely absent in the kit, and so on. That said, I thought it was a good starting point and I proceed with construction.
GETTING STARTED, MODELLING NIGHT AT BROOKHURST HOBBIES
Twice a month, some friends and I meet for dinner and then on to our local hobby shop, Brookhurst Hobbies In Garden Grove, California. The intent of these ‘build nights’ is to break-bread, have some fun and glue some plastic. This was the perfect opportunity to start the Saladin and from a construction standpoint, the kit went together very well. Virtually no fit problems for any of the key plastic parts were encountered. Details were added using plastic strip and card,
AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 BRITISH ARMOURED CAR SALADIN MK.2 • Kit No. 3554
lead wire and other detail bits from the spares box. The only fit problem I ran into were with the tan vinyl tyres when I tried to mate them to the plastic rims. I can see why Dragon tried to do the tyres and rims this way, but the overall effect of the undersized tyres as well as the lack of a positive fit just wasn’t going to work for this build. My dear friend Mr. Kim from DEF Models came to the rescue with an amazing set of resin ‘sagged’ wheels and my honest opinion is that the DEF Models wheels make the model. The only thing you need to do when using the resin tyres is to slightly shave about an eighth of an inch off the depth of the mounting pin that slips into the socket of the resin tyre. This will allow the tyres to set correctly underneath the fender wells. The last thing this build needed was some stowage. At the time I was building the model, no aftermarket was available for the kit. That’s why I turned to my ever trusted Value Gear stowage to bring the model to life. I did a little bit of research on Google to see what type of stowage was carried in the Middle East on these vehicles and it became clear that it was ‘standard fare’. Tarps, rolls, poles and boxes of ammo seem to be what was consistent in the photographs I was coming across. With a few simple adaptations, Value Gear came to the rescue again. I think it fit the model well and really brought it to life. As for the .30cal, it was made up of parts from an Academy kit, an RB brass barrel as well as some scratchbuilt details. I did as much research as I could on the angled handle that was mounted to the side of the gun and I did my best to replicate. The spare .30cal ammo boxes stowed on the side of the vehicle are also from Academy.
The kit-supplied wheels and tyres are seen here in place on the model. Okay for an out-of-the-box build
ADDING COLOUR TO THIS DESERT WARRIOR
The paint scheme I chose to go with was that used in the Persian Gulf in the late ‘60s. I love the warm tans and the olive drab and how those tones are affected by dirt and sand. They are warm and engaging and yet a lot of fun to make look worn and war-weary. To start off, the bottom of the vehicle was treated to a sporadic treatment of Tamiya Ground Effects sand and dirt. This was then oversprayed with the mixtures of browns, blacks, and basically mucky colours; is mucky a real word? (yes it is, it’s colour of my model workshop interior, Ed) Anyway, once you hit a surface painted like that with oil washers and pigments it really gives the feel that it has been dragged across a Middle Eastern landscape, dirty and full of debris. As usual, I painted the overall model with the darker of the two tones, in this case, the olive drab with random highlights in the areas I knew would be the spots of colour that would remain green. Once that was dry, I mixed up a sand colour that was pleasing to my eyes that worked well with the reference photographs I came across. Silly Putty was used as a mask for the green camouflage blotches and then the tan was oversprayed, once again highlighted with at least two or three different tones both lighter and darker. By doing this, it breaks up the visual ‘surface tension’ that is otherwise created by one colour tone. The silly putty was removed and presto, the basic look and feel of the vehicle was now taking shape. Other details like the muffler and storage were also masked around using silly putty. This really is a wonderful masking tool that allows you an extreme amount of control and flexibility. Once all the basic colours were down, I started picking out details and adding a little ‘chipping’ applied with a sponge, using AK and Vallejo acrylic paints.
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The standard wheels/tyres are acceptable (sand/grey) but are no match for DEF Model’s resin replacements (grey)
The replacement resin wheels are a direct replacement for the kit-supplied parts, with just a small amount of resin needing removal to fit
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Value Gear cast-resin stowage items were used across the model, seen here in dark grey
The author added some stowage in the fender racks and wired-up the smoke launchers on the turret sides
Twisted copper wire was used for the vehicle’s towing cable
The Value Gear accessory parts look right at home on the model
An underside view showing the flat-spotted DEF Model resin tyres, which replace the kitsupplied items
Photo-etched brass radiator grille is supplied with the kit
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 BRITISH ARMOURED CAR SALADIN MK.2 • Kit No. 3554
The Saladin’s .30cal close-defence gun was up-detailed with various items plus scrap polystyrene
Some pre-shading was airbrushed over the turret and hull
The base green colour has now been applied over the masked-off (Silly Putty) sand colour
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The towing hawsers take shape; copper wire replaces nylon cord
The basic camouflage colours are now complete!
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The torn-up rear mudguards were fabricated by the author
Ready for dirt! The model is a blank canvas at this stage Far left; the bodywork around the exhaust box was masked off with Silly Putty and the rusty shades then applied We see the model here, around half-way through the weathering process
Oil paints played a key role in the weathering of the model
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 BRITISH ARMOURED CAR SALADIN MK.2 • Kit No. 3554
WEATHERING… MY FAVOURITE PART OF THE MODELLING PROCESS!
When I started the weathering process, it was unusually hot and sunny southern California. I live about fifteen minutes from the beach and at the time, it was well over 100°F. For a guy that has his model room in the garage, it made it a little toasty. So I set up a TV tray in the air-conditioned family room, put on a good movie and started the process of applying oil paint colour-washes! It’s the same process you’ve seen a million times in a thousand other articles; nothing new or different here. Once the overall washes were in place, pin washing were applied in the appropriate areas both to create shadow as well as create dust and sand accumulation. Mig pigments were then applied sparingly, mixed with turpentine thinner that acts as a setting agent. Once I got the overall look and feel that I wanted, a subtle coat of Testor’s Dullcote was sprayed over the whole model bringing everything to an equal level of sheen. The final details were then fitted. The lights were painted with the appropriate
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colours of Tamiya clear red and orange. Small lenses from MV were fitted to both the headlamps and the hand-held spotlight was mounted on the turret. I felt that these lights needed a focal point when you looked through the kit’s clear lenses. Once I sealed the lights up, I think the effect I was looking for was achieved.
SIX WHEELED ROUND UP
I must admit, although not the most detailed and complex of plastic models, Dragon did do a good job with this model from the bases of ease of assembly. I usually don’t shy away from adding some detail so I had no problem bringing a little bit of extra finesse to this kit. The process was fun and I think the end result speaks for itself. Once again, many thanks to DEF Models and Value Gear for the added detail that really brings the subject life. Also, a big thanks to my friend Fred who once again came to my aid and photographed the finished model and of course our fearless editor Marcus who was kind enough to show interest in my model. •
The author
at work at
Brookhurst
Hobbies mod
elling night
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MODELLING REFERENCES: FIELD-IMPROVISED WATER TANK TRAILER
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NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION! Converting a Flak trailer into a water bowser!
I
n this photo, we witness a group of US soldiers in the process of converting the trailer of a 20mm Flak 38 AA gun to carry a drinking water tank (also a piece of German equipment), which we see in the background. The tank sports camouflage and the words ‘Trink-Wasser’ (drinking water) confirming its suitability to the task. Steel uprights and a wooden bed have already been fitted. This scene would be perfect for a small diorama, which would prove that field modifications and conversions did happen; necessity is the mother of invention!
IN KIT FORM;
Several 1:35 kits of the Flak 38 exist and the modification work can be easily done with simple plastic card, rod and angled section. The water tank wouldn’t be too difficult to create from plastic stock. •
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FEATURE ARTICLE: MINIART 1:35 T-70M EARLY PRODUCTION SOVIET LIGHT TANK • Kit No. 35025
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SHELF QUEEN:
T-70 In this collaborative project, Jorge Alvear builds and detailsup MiniArt’s 1:35 T-70M using Aber photo-etched parts, while Murat Özgül describes the application of the paint and a winter-whitewash finish
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Text and photographs by Murat Özgül
irst of all, I need to state that this model is a work of two people, rather than just me. Though I did the paint job, assembly was carried out by a master modeller; Jorge Alvear and I owe him much gratitude for his trust in my painting skills. Thanks Jorge. Since then, the model has waited patiently in a box on my shelf for more than two years! Even though this kit was assembled by Jorge, I was familiar with the T-70 which is one of the first kits MiniArt produced. I can comfortably claim that the quality of the kit is very good. Even out of the box, you can put together a near perfect model and it is also fairly priced too. During assembly, Jorge used Aber’s photo-etch set, so we can observe the folded mud guards, open boxes and many other subtle but highly refined details
which the Aber set adds to the kit. Jorge also delicately reproduced the weld seams on the turret. The sharp look of the assembled but unpainted kit amply exhibits Jorge’s modelling skills. As you can observe, the part which I will be involved is rather small. I only worked a bit on the mudguards, removed one of the fender box covers and made some small tears in the engine grille to simulate battle damage and wear on the small tank.
PAINTING
Priming is an essential step to begin with if, as with this model, multiple materials are used in construction. After priming, we have a continuous surface onto which we apply the painting processes. I am not sure if my choice of Russian Green is historically accurate, but I like Tamiya the
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FEATURE ARTICLE: MINIART 1:35 T-70M EARLY PRODUCTION SOVIET LIGHT TANK • Kit No. 35025
Photo-etched parts from the Polish manufacturer ‘Aber’ were used to good effect; the new parts are a big improvement on the kit mouldings. New track guards, engine cooling grilles, tool clamps and more were all exchanged for the new metal components.
Tamiya Fine Surface Grey Primer was sprayed over the whole model
A base layer of dark green was applied, mixed from Tamiya XF-65 and XF-71
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Some panels were highlighted with lightened mixes of the base colour, plus white
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We can see the very subtle highlights on the armour surface
Over the hairspray, a very thin layer of Tamiya white was airbrushed on
A layer of hairspray was decanted and applied by airbrush
Using a brush dampened with pain water, the hairspray softened, allowing a patchy break-up of the white to take place
pale, green-grey shade XF-65 Field Grey. I also think that, properly done, this shade can be weathered perfectly, so I applied the XF-65 as my primary Russian Green colour. Though the final finish will be a winter camouflage, I still painted the model in various green shades, starting from light to dark. To lighten the green, white can be used, however I don’t have a special formula for paint mixtures. I just mix the paints with a paintbrush in the airbrush cup and add enough isopropyl alcohol to keep it at a sprayable consistency. My purpose is not simulate different greens but rather simulate different shades of one green tone. To successfully achieve this, extreme care should be taken as the effect can be easily overdone and thus ruined. After finishing the painting, I applied the marking ‘169’ from the Archer Dry Transfer Set for T-34-76 on the model. I then applied several light coats of Tamiya X-22 Clear varnish over the model. This would prevent any damages to the previous paint coats during subsequent weathering processes.
HAIRSPRAY TECHNIQUE
There multiple ways to finish your model in winter camouflage. Probably the most interesting among them is the much-used ‘hairspray’ technique (originally propagated by Phil Stutcinskas, Ed). As you may well see in modelling magazines and modelling websites, this technique has become a true phenomenon. It may sound strange, but it all starts with a trip to the supermarket to buy an aerosol can of hairspray (any brand). When you are back home, prepare a clean receptacle and spray the contents of the can into the cup. Then, spray the liquid onto the model with your airbrush in thin layers. You’ll end up with a very shiny look, as if you have applied gloss varnish. The hairspray is not resistant to water and dissolves easily. However, beware that when it dries it does become water resistant in the long term.
A toothpick was used to further ‘damage’ the whitewash and create horizontal scrapes and scratches
WHITEWASH
After the hairspray was dry, I applied Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, thinned with water. You don’t need to wait long for the white paint to cure before you can proceed. I first wetted the model with a broad brush moistened with warm water. During this process, you can observe the white paint beginning to break up, caused by the hairspray layer beneath beginning to dissolve. So it is time to partially remove the white paint with the help of a brush and a toothpick, with which you can determine the final outcome according to your own taste. However, don’t overdo it.. The good news is that, you may redo this process as long as you like until you get the desired effect. For my T-70, I worked over the effect multiple times,
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FEATURE ARTICLE: MINIART 1:35 T-70M EARLY PRODUCTION SOVIET LIGHT TANK • Kit No. 35025
A sponge dipped in dark green was used to create further chipping effects, over the whitewash finish
Humbrol Enamel matt white was then applied by paint brush to add some definition to the remaining whitewash
The enamel paint was ‘streaked’ downwards with a brush moistened with Humbrol Thinner
The stowage was had-painted with Vallejo’s superb Model Color acrylic paints
Here we see the moulded ‘asbestos’ tape wrapped around the exhaust pipework
Weathered bare metal should not be metallic, but rather, dark brown in tone
‘The sharp look of the assembled but unpainted kit amply exhibits Jorge’s modelling skills.’
Finally, some dust was airbrushed on using Tamiya Enamels XF-49 Khaki and XF-57 Buff
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Further applications of dust were airbrushed over the roadwheels
Streaked dirt was applied on the inside face of the open stowage bin
though not on the whole model but in local spots until I created the multiple white shades I wanted to simulate. My choice for creating further worn effects in the white paint is with a sponge. In places where the white is too consistent, I applied the main colour (XF-65) with a piece of torn sponge. Though this colour may seem a bit dark at this stage, the effect will blend in during weathering. I then used Humbrol No.34 Matt White enamel paint to create vertical “winter streaks”, then by using Humbrol’s thinner I removed the excess paint to blend-in and tone-down the white.
WEATHERING Localised ‘washes’ of muddy colours were applied to the roadwheel hubs and drive sprockets
More mud was flicked on!
Rear deck stowage items, painted and ready to be carefully glued to the model
Many modellers’ first words when beginning such a topic would be “here comes the most entertaining step”. Though weathering is indeed an entertaining process, there is a thin line between pleasure and pain. A project which started brilliantly may turn in to an absurdity; perhaps many modellers have seen such finishes in model shows. Weathering can bring life to a model but if it is overdone, the finish will be ruined. Remember, “less is more”. Colour-washes followed, and you can apply them as much as you like until you get the desired effect. I like using washes a lot, as I like to have contrast on my model which I believe adds depth. To follow this, I mixed Vallejo colours to produce a dark brown shade which I applied to create the initial chipped and scored paint effects. Now that my Vallejo acrylics were out, I can proceed to the detail painting, such as the fabric strips around the muffler and the resin stowage, which is from Blast Models. Though these resin stowage come in very handy, it’s good to add some home-made stuff as well and for my part, I made some ‘logs’ from a couple of chopsticks which I left over from my sushi a couple of weeks earlier. These logs fitted perfectly on the tank as it was common to find such items on Russian tanks of the time. The wooden crate – also common on tanks – was built up from plastic card. Needless to say, all these items were painted and weathered with Vallejo acrylics.
FINAL WORDS…
Once again I need to express my gratitude to master modeller Jorge Alvear for making this project possible and giving me the opportunity to handle this cute model. But all in all, the biggest thanks go to the readers of Military Illustrated Modeller magazine. Thank you for reading this article to its very end. •
Availability; MiniArt models are available from good model shops and Creative Models in the UK; www.creativemodels.co.uk
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FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCHBUILT 1:35 MITTLERER LADUNGSTRÄGER SPRINGER SD.KFZ.304 • Kit No. N/A
SCRATCHBUILT SPRINGER ‘304
Thomas Morgan takes a handful of parts from Dragon’s 1:35 Kettenkraftrad kit and scratchbuilds an Sd.Kfz.304 ‘Springer’ medium explosives charge carrier
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he Sd.Kfz.304, nicknamed “Springer” because of its lively ride, was intended as a replacement for the Borgward-built B IVc explosive charge carrier, Sd.Kfz.301. Like the Borgward it could be driven by a single crewman to a jumping-off point, then radio-controlled to its target. However, in contrast to the BIVc it was an expendable bomb sent to its destruction, as was the earlier and smaller wire-guided Goliath. The engine, drive train and running gear were those of the Kettenkrad Sd.Kfz.2, but the larger hull required two additional road wheels per side. With the 330kg explosive charge and sixty-five
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litres of fuel, it had a road limit of 200km. Its radio range to the target was 2000 metres and was directed from an armoured control vehicle, such as the Pz.Kpfw.III used with the Borgward. Sixteen experimental models were tested, differing in degree from the production version of which only fifty were made, between October 1944 and February 1945. None were recorded as issued, but several were captured by the Western Allies. The Bovington example is in its original and unusual camouflage scheme of four colours; the typical yellow/red/brown but streaked with black.
CONSTRUCTION
I was attracted to the Springer by the unusual camouflage and diminutive size. Besides, I enjoy building vehicles that are not popular with other modellers and I had never seen a ‘304 in miniature; but as I was finishing my build Brach Model of Italy released a 1:35 resin kit. Construction began logically with the hull, which fortunately was just welded flat panels. The bow, stern and bottom were 10mm thick, while the sides and deck were 5mm. In scale, 10mm is only .011”, but I cheated and used .015” card as I was afraid that anything thinner would collapse
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In scale, 10mm is only .011”, but the author cheated and used .015” card as he was afraid that anything thinner would collapse with handling
The vertically paired torsion bars were added next, being the deepest items in the hull. They were built up from rod and strip.
To add some rigidity to the thin hull, and to help align the parts of the driver’s compartment, the author added the fuel tanks. The seat is sandwiched between them and as it’s off centre, the right tank is larger
The first serious challenge involved the running gear, which consisted of Kettenkrad parts. The author needed two DML Kettenkrad 6341 kits as the Springer had four more road wheels
The idlers and road wheels very closely match the Panzer Tracts No.14 plans. However the sprocket wheels are much smaller in diameter, by .052”. That sounds trivial, but on a small 3.5” long model it bothered the author that he could not correct them
with handling. As a precaution I supported the sides with temporary balsa bulkheads and added the scale cross-beams as soon as they were not obstructing deeper access. To add some rigidity to the thin hull and to help align the components of the driver’s compartment, I added the fuel tanks. The seat is sandwiched between them and as it is off centre (why?) the right tank is larger. I built them from balsa blocks sheathed with .010” card. The straps are .005” strip. Eventually I added a cap chain of .006” copper wire, twisted and flattened. At the same time I made the demolition charges stowed in the
bow. They were conjectural, as no photos could be found and I ended up not using them. The first serious challenge involved the running gear, which consisted of Kettenkrad parts. I needed two Dragon Kettenkrad kits (6341) as the Springer had four more road wheels. The idlers and road wheels very closely match the Panzer Tracts No.14 plans. However the sprocket wheels are much smaller in diameter, by .052”. That sounds trivial, but on a small 3.5” long model it bothered me that I could not correct them. Incidentally, the kit C41 sprockets are closer in design to those of the Springer than parts B10/18.
The sprockets were detailed with a back plate and the twenty-four tiny bolts holding the rubber pads. There were two parts to each kit road wheel. I was aggravated to find the joints of the dished wheels tenuous and unstable. I used a thick spacer to gain parallel alignment and machinist squares to establish vertical alignment. A short rod kept the lightening holes opposed. If the halves of a wheel are accurately mated, it should roll straight without a wobble. The mounts for the idlers and sprockets were strengthened by drilling them into the .015” card re-enforcing plates. But I realised that it would not
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FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCHBUILT 1:35 MITTLERER LADUNGSTRÄGER SPRINGER SD.KFZ.304 • Kit No. N/A
The model during construction, clockwise, from top; There were two parts to each kit road wheel. The author was aggrieved to find the joints of the dished wheels tenuous and unstable. A thick spacer was used to gain parallel alignment, and machinist-squares to establish vertical alignment. A short rod kept the holes opposed. If the halves of a wheel are accurately mated, it should roll straight without a wobble The Springer’s interior consisted of three sections: the driver’s station, the engine in the middle, and the gear box and demolition charges in front. The rear compartment was dominated by the large air duct and radiator housing, straddled by the driver There were no instrument dials evident in photos, but just beyond the panel are the tops of boxes for radio equipment. The author’s are conjectural The brake handle and clutch pedal are brass wire, styrene strip and a piece of watch gear. Tiny switches of brass wire and PE washers were added to the control panel after it was painted
be practical to attach the road wheels individually as the tiny axles would be too weak. Instead the wheels and idlers were glued together forming a single unit. Axles of .040” rod were temporarily fitted into the wheels and glued to hull. With the wheel unit removed, the torsion arms were built around the axles. Note that the front arms face rearwards and, as the torsion bars were paired vertically, the left arms are based higher than the right ones. The Springer’s interior consisted of three sections: the driver’s station, the engine in the middle and the gearbox and demolition charges in the front. The rear compartment was dominated by the large air duct and radiator housing, straddled by the driver. But with the duct and seat significantly offset to the
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left, there was little room for the operator’s left leg. However, the brake and clutch pedals were on the right, with no controls on the left. The ride must have been uncomfortable. The contoured air duct was built from card, strip and Meng nuts. The cushions were carved from thick card, as was the oil tank. Bovington’s 304 has been partly gutted, but the NARA photo* shows a prominent mystery box in front of the seat. I made the embossed ridge by first wrapping a .015” rod around a balsa former and dipping it into boiling water. The rectangle was temporarily fixed to a glass plate with white glue, then sanded thin. Once glued to the box I blended it in with diluted Mr. Surfacer 1000. The tiny rivets are MasterClub’s. To represent the engine and to fill some of the
space in front of radiator housing, I adapted a few of the DML Kettenkrad motor parts, adding solder wire piping. The connectors are pieces of ‘spruestretched’ tube. The handlebars are .035” rod and Mig PE washers. Like the seat, they are offset to the left, being clamped to the steering rod which is in the midline. The brake handle and clutch pedal are brass wire, styrene strip and a piece of watch gear. Tiny switches of brass wire and PE washers were added to the control panel after it was painted. *The best period photo of the driver’s station (only partial) belongs to the National Archives & Record Administration, the “NARA” in America. A few other interior views are scattered in the listed references and the internet. There were no instrument dials evident in the NARA photo, but
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Views of the Springer’s interior before and after painting. Bear in mind the minuscule size of this model in 1:35! There is some seriously delicate detail work on show here
just beyond the panel are the tops of boxes for radio equipment. Mine are conjectural. On the stern, Springers had a right-sided tail-light and a few had a bracket on the left, possibly for a convoy light. Also, small mounts for wire clips were welded along both sides of the driver’s position. The NARA photos show an empty bracket and no wires on the left, suggesting the light was never fitted. The Bovington 304 has no bracket (not even a wire hole) but retains the clip mounts. I added clips and wiring to the right side, using UMM-USA .2 mm lead wire and E.T.Model .6 mm brass strip. The air intake grill in the rear deck is Aber PE mesh with Archer resin weld beads. The hinged cover is .005” card. It was camouflaged on the inside, in the open position.
An exhaust pipe was made of stretched-tube. For some reason the pipe was secured with a standard tool clamp; mine is a Passion Models ‘Jenny’s’ clamp. The light is just a section of thinned tube. I made the lens by fixing Bare Metal chrome foil to .010” card, punching out a disc and coating it with Clear Orange. The welds around the tow hooks are Tamiya Epoxy Putty Quick Type. I prefer this as it can be mixed and rolled easily without powders. Note the twist handles that hold down the rear deck which secured the two forward covers; twelve of the little devils. After a few failures, I settled on fine brass tubing as it is easier to drill and bend than brass wire. A short length of .3mm tube was soldered into a hole drilled through .5mm tube,
then bent and trimmed to shape. Any inconsistency between them was masked by placing them at different angles. The engine covers are card, with Archer weld beads at the edges. I had to fabricate eight of the prominent hinges, including those on the driver’s shields. I glued .030” half round rod to .015” strip. A small jig helped to cut units to the same size before I added the MasterClub hex bolts. The antenna was mounted on the front edge of the engine deck. I used the rubber base from a k59 radio set as it was the correct smaller version, not the large one used on most AFVs. The bracket is .005” strip. The 1.4m antenna stowed on the left fender is stretched sprue. I have found Tamiya’s styrene to be the best for obtaining long tapered aerials. It’s difficult to see but the base of
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FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCHBUILT 1:35 MITTLERER LADUNGSTRÄGER SPRINGER SD.KFZ.304 • Kit No. N/A
Above; the engine covers were made from plastic card, with Archer weld beads at the edges. The author had to fabricate eight of the prominent hinges, including those on the driver’s shields. An interesting feature on the bow is the tracking beacon. Before deployment it would be pivoted vertically and locked in place with a wingnut. The light shown rearwards aiding the distant controller in guiding the vehicle Before the author could attach the fender units, the painted roadwheels, sprockets and tracks had to be installed; painting the assembled road wheels was a chore.
the antenna is drilled out and a cuff and wingnut added. The forward cover allows access to the explosive charges. In contrast to Bovington’s 304, on most Springers the cover significantly overlapped the bow and hull sides. For scale thickness at the edges, I used .010” card re-enforced underneath with .020” card to prevent buckling. An interesting feature on the bow is the tracking beacon. Before deployment it would be pivoted vertically and locked in place with a wingnut. The light shone rearwards aiding the distant controller in guiding the vehicle. The brackets are .005” strip and the rod is .015” brass tube with .2mm lead wire. The wingnut is by Bronco.
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While en route, the driver was protected by three fold-down 10mm shields, held in place by pivot latches on the front and slide latches laterally. Before sending the Springer to its doom, these panels would be unlocked and folded down flat, covering the driver’s station. I built the shields from .010” card, almost exactly in scale. For the front panel, it was easier to first cut the thin vision slit (with a new #15 X-Acto blade) and then shape the shield around it. The handles are .010” brass wire and the weather stripping is .003” tin foil. The latches are .005” and .010” strip, Grandt Line bolts and Bronco wingnuts. The 304’s fenders were thin sheet metal; one long side panel with three top sections.
The first two top pieces had a raised inner edge that bolted to the hull, while the third was supported from below by a triangular bracket. Three metal rods also braced the side panel. On many Springers the front edge of the fender was extended, either up or down. The Bovington example has neither. For scale thickness I chose to use .005” card - I couldn’t face cutting and soldering brass sheet. The inner lips were bent using a PE “Hold & Fold” tool. The sections were joined with hidden pieces of card and angled strip. Heads were cut from MasterClub bolts and fixed with thin CA. Although quite flimsy at first, the fenders were surprising robust once attached to the hull.
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Modelspec SCRATCHBUILT 1:35 MITTLERER LADUNGSTRÄGER SPRINGER SD.KFZ.304 Tools and materials; Iwata HP-BH airbrush, Iwata CM-B airbrush, Mascot flat pivot drills, Plastruct styrene card, rod, strip, Tamiya Epoxy Putty Quick Type, Tamiya Extra Thin cement, Tamiya masking tape, Testors liquid cement, Zap thin CA Paints & finishing products; AK Interactive pigments & washes, graphite pencil, Humbrol enamels, MIG pigments & fixer, Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, Mr.Surfacer 1000, Mud-in-a-Pot dry mud dark, Tamiya acrylics, Tamiya enamels, Tamiya enamel thinner X-20, Tamiya surface primer, fine grey, Tamiya Weathering Master set, Vallejo acrylics, Winsor & Newton oils, 502 Abteilung oils Accessories used; Aber PE net (mesh)S19, Archer surface details #6 (arc weld beads) AR88006, Bronco German butterfly wing nuts AB3503, Custom Dioramics tin foil (.003”) CD-406, DML running gear from Kettenkrad kit 6341, E.T.Model brass strip T-002, Evolution German tank crewman EM-35077, Grandt Line nuts & bolts, k59 German radio FuSprech a/d,f Z-02, MasterClub bolts & rivets various, Meng nuts & bolts SPS-005, Mig Productions PE rivets, discs & washers MPE 35-505, Passion Models Jenny’s clamp – late P35-076, UMM-USA round lead wire 0.2mm, (.008”) RLW 0.2 References; Jaugitz, M. “Funklenkpanzer: A History of German Army Remote- and Radio-Controlled Armor Units”, 2001, JJ Fedorowicz Publishing, Winnipeg, Canada, ISBN 0-921991-58-4 Jentz, T. & Doyle, H. “Panzer Tracts No.14 - Gepanzerte PionierFahrzeuge”, 1998, Darlington Productions, Darlington, MD, ISBN 1-892848-00-7 “Museum Ordnance”, Vol.3 No. 2, March 1993 Sawodny, M. “Unusual Panzers” Trojca, W. & Jaugitz, M. “Demolition Tanks at War”, 2007, Model Hobby, Katowice, Poland, ISBN 978-83-60041-25-3 Trojca, W. & Münch, K. “Kettenkrad at War”, 2010, Model Hobby, Katowice, Poland, ISBN 978-83-60041-45-1 http://fahrzeuge-der-wehrmacht.de/Artikel/NSU_Springer.html http://jtrowbridge5.smugmug.com/
The main structures of the Springer, with track guard in the foreground. These items would hide the awkward-to-fit tracks
The kit DS tracks were a disaster. Two sets of Kettenkrad links were needed for each side of the longer Springer track run, so two joints per side. Nothing would bond the ‘DS’ material, so they were stitched together
PAINTING
All parts were first primed with Tamiya fine grey surface primer, straight from the rattle can. And unless otherwise noted, the paints are Tamiya acrylics thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner and Winsor & Newton oils, although I am rapidly converting to 502 Abteilung oils. Work began on the interior, with most components painted and weathered before installation. Bovington’s 304 interior is largely red primer. I mixed a primercolour from XF-4 Flat Red and XF-68 NATO Brown and sprayed the inner hull, air duct, fuel tanks and torsion bars. A few streaks of XF-9 Hull Red followed, then oil-paint colour-washes of Burnt Umber and 502 Abt Olive Green. Highlights were
emphasised with a drybrushed pink mixture of Titanium White & Venetian Red which was quite effective. To impart some contrast, the fan housing was finished in XF-18 Medium Blue lightened with XF-19 Sky Grey. Deep recesses were darkened with a fine spray of XF-64 Red Brown with XF-1 Flat Black. Following a matt coat, I dusted some Mig Productions earth pigments and added AK Interactive Engine Oil stains. Lastly I burnished some edges with graphite. The mystery box is XF-60 Dark Yellow lightened with XF-55 Deck Tan. After a coat of Semi Gloss Clear came a Burnt Sienna pin-wash and more staining; drips from the oil tank. I added a few small chips with Vallejo German Camo Black
Brown. I imagined that the seat and back cushions would have a simple canvas cover; why blow-up a nice leather seat? Then again, they were sacrificing the whole vehicle, with its torsion bars, engine, radio equipment, etc. Over an XF-69 NATO Black base I misted XF-52 Flat Earth, gradually lightening it with XF-57 Buff and ending with pure Buff on the highlights. The creases were picked out with AK Wash for DAK Vehicles, sealed with a flat clear coat. I need more practice with fabrics. You can’t see much of them, but the oil tank is XF-67 NATO Green lightened with Buff and the engine parts are variably green or Medium Blue. The pipes were brushed Vallejo Neutral Grey. The radio boxes, control panel, handlebars and levers
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FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCHBUILT 1:35 MITTLERER LADUNGSTRÄGER SPRINGER SD.KFZ.304 • Kit No. N/A
The outer structures were undercoated with red-oxide primer
Over the base-coat, the four-colour camouflage was applied
‘I was attracted to the Springer by the unusual camouflage and diminutive size.’
were all Medium Blue lightened with Sky Grey. Detail was enhanced with a localised colour-wash Abt.502 Faded Dark Yellow followed by burnishing some edges with graphite. The rubber hand grips were simulated by buffing with Tamiya Weathering Master Oil Stain. Interestingly, the Springer’s camouflage included the insides of the driver’s shields. On the Bovington 304 the pattern is abbreviated, consisting of just yellow, black and the red primer. Some over spray extends down onto the inner side walls. Over the red primer I sprayed blotches of Dark Yellow and then XF-63 German Grey darkened with NATO Black.
DRAGON’S DS TRACKS
Before I could attach the fender units, the painted running gear and tracks had to be installed. Painting the assembled road wheels was a chore. With a blatant disregard for future modellers, the four-colour camo had been extended to the wheels. This required a few hours of micro-masking as the overlapping
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wheels and tyres were sequentially rendered, but the effort was worth it. The tyres are Dark Grey. The kit DS tracks were a disaster. Two sets of Kettenkrad links were needed for each side of the longer Springer track run, so two joints per side. Nothing, and I mean nothing, would bond the ‘DS’ material; not Tamiya glue, not Testors, not Tenax, not CA, not acetone and not whiskey. Five minute epoxy tacked them together long enough that I could sew the joints, 1960’s style... Not fond memories. Fortunately, the fenders hide the abominations, but that wasn’t all the pain. Despite thorough cleansing followed by Tamiya primer, the Flat Black and Red Brown pain mix chipped off right down to the vinyl, with the slightest flexing. After the tracks were finally in position, the chips were repainted by brush with a mix of Panzer Aces Track Primer and Black Grey. The rubber pads are a mix of Humbrol RAF Blue and Matt Black.
It was easier to add some dried mud to the hull and fenders before they were attached. I dabbed on some Reality-In-Scale ‘Mud-in-aPot Dry Mud Dark’ and some Mig Productions earth pigments, secured with fixer. Dilute Brown JGSDF was misted over both. The camouflage scheme was airbrushed free-hand with an Iwata Custom Micron. The three typical German colours were simulated with Dark Yellow, Deep Green slightly lightened with Deck Tan and Red Brown lightened with Deck Tan. On the horizontal surfaces, the colours were lightened a bit more. The exhaust is NATO Black over sprayed with a ‘reddish orange’ mixed from Flat Red, Flat Yellow and Red Brown and then blotched with Mig pigments; Light Dust, Concrete, and Black Smoke. Yes, over-kill on this pipe but it’s great on bigger vehicles.
WEATHERING
I am often conflicted about weathering. I feel it is absolutely necessary to impart character to a model
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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Hand picked for 2016
The fourth colour was black, seen here over the ‘traditional’ scheme
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Model World in Australia. Both the bottles and paint are a joy to use. I also airbrushed blotches of AK Dust and Dirt Deposits, then refined them using a filbert-tipped brush dampened with thinner. The oil stains are AK Engine Oil, some darkened with black pigment. A little graphite was rubbed onto appropriate edges. The last thing I did was touch up another crop of chips from those damnable DS tracks, and gently brush on some earth pigments. The helmet is a Tamiya spare and I replaced the liner rivets and air holes with .015” rod. It is Neutral Grey shadowed with a Neutral Grey and German Grey mix. The fine chips are Cadmium Maroon/Coal Black 4:1 mix, sponged on. The size referencing ‘mannequin’ is an Evolution German crewman monitoring his target. And there we have it, an Sd.Kfz.304 Springer, built from scratch, with the help of Dragon Kettenkraftrad parts •
Trim Size:
and ‘bring it to life’, but I am not a fan of excessive filth and wear. The Springer is a case in point, for as a single use vehicle it would not have had the chance to suffer any weathering beyond getting dirty on its road march. I then realized that even though the original scheme was dark, I had made it too dark for the small size of the model. And weathering would make it worse. In an attempt to lighten the colours I tried some subtle oil dot modulation using Abt 502 German Three-Tone Fading, Faded Dark Yellow, and German Grey Highlight... It didn’t help. Fortunately I received some much appreciated advice from Michael Rinaldi. He recommended using lighter dust and earth tones to achieve some contrast. I began with brushed on colour-washes and panel stains of Tamiya enamel Deck Tan, with a few scattered areas of Deck Tan darkened with Flat Earth. I get frustrated struggling with ‘tinlets’, so when I learned that Tamiya made bottled enamels I was keen to try them. They are not available here in North America, but I ordered some from BNA
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FEATURE ARTICLE: FINE MOLDS 1:35 IJA TYPE 3 TANK DESTROYER HO-NI III • KIT NO.FM02
IJA TYPE 3 HO-NI III Özgür Güner describes the pleasurable experience of building and painting Fine Molds' HO-NI III tank destroyer
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iewed through a historic perspective, Japanese tanks during World War II were generally inferior compared to the tanks of other countries. This was due to several factors, the main being the battle strategy of Imperial Japanese Command that focused on the naval and aerial rather than ground forces. Labour and raw materials were generally directed towards the construction of larger ships and more aircraft as a result of this strategy. In the late period of the war, when the battlefront
started to approach the Japanese mainland, several projects were initiated to improve the existing AFVs in terms of armour and firepower, while new projects to build heavier and stronger tanks began to be debated. The main armour component of the IJA (imperial Japanese Army) was comprised of light and medium vehicles. Self-propelled assault guns (designated by HO in Japanese nomenclature) were generally based on the widely used Type 97 Chi-Ha platform, similar to many vehicles from
other classes. The HO-NI III was an improved version of the first basic variant (HO-NI I) with better armament and an enclosed fighting compartment. This vehicle, weighing seventeen tons and armed with a 75mm gun, could be called a 'Japanese StuG' (despite being much smaller and lighter). There were about forty examples of this vehicle produced and according to the records none of these took part in active combat operations.
The kit is moulded in a mid-green polystyrene that can be built into convenient sub-assemblies
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The superstructure has to be threaded over the gun barrel before being cemented to the upper hull
THE KIT AND ASSEMBLY
The largest variety of WW2 Japanese tank models in plastic are offered by Fine Molds. The model here is kit No.FM20 and like many other Fine Molds kits it’s out of production. Despite this, it is actually easy to obtain this kit from eBay. In addition, I used Friul Model’s ATL-70 metal tracks. The kit provides sufficient detail and parts out of the box, yet using after-market tracks will greatly improve the result in my opinion. Construction of the model is pretty easy and straightforward. The first stage is the assembly of
the lower and upper hull, suspension, wheels and turret. After that, the gun and the turret hatches were assembled. Nearly all of the turret hatches can be modelled in the open position, however since there is no interior detail I preferred to close the hatches. The gun barrel is only slightly movable after its assembly. The turret is fitted by sliding it over the gun barrel onto the hull; general assembly is then roughly complete. If you open up the hatches, add interior details, paint it and then try to fit the turret into place, I believe that it will be a very hard task, if not impossible. The plastic surfaces of the kit are pretty smooth, so I decided to add some surface texture by thinning Mr Surfacer and then applying it with an old brush, dabbing the brush on the surfaces. This application results in a textured finish that simulates sheet metal, but take care not to overdo it. Too much texture will create a cast-iron/cast-steel surface, rather than the sheet steel effect we are aiming for. Now it was time to assemble the fine details. The handles on the turret hatches and other small parts were installed in this stage. The exhaust guards are supplied as photo-etched parts in the kit and there are also moulds to bend them into the proper shape. After the tracks were assembled and fitted to the model, the assembly stage was complete. The model was now ready for paint, after a quick and easy assembly that was also pleasant and fun.
PAINTING
The entire model received a coat of Revell’s #47 as primer before I began painting. This created a homogenous, mono-coloured surface that would help me during painting. Now it was time for the main painting stage. The paints and painting patterns used on WW2 era Japanese vehicles are very complicated subjects. Basically, there are two main different patterns called as early period and late period patterns. The early period vehicles have a cloud pattern which has multiple colours and hard edges, while most vehicles also have thin yellow stripes painted on. The late-period vehicles, similar to late-war German vehicles, have three colours (red-brown, yellow and green) for camouflage, but these colours are different to German colours with their own, unique hues. Mr. Hobby has special paint sets for IJA tanks which are Early-Period and Late-Period (CS 604 and CS 603 respectively) and they are very close to original tones, while some experts think they are a bit too dark. I have used these sets on my previous Japanese vehicles and was satisfied with the results, while I also think the experts are right about the darkness of the colours compared to the originals. As a result, I decided to make some adjustments on this build and alter the yellow – the lightest colour of the camouflage – to a lighter tone. This vehicle is a late-war machine, so it will be painted in the late-period, tri-colour camouflage.
Views of the model, pre-painting. The author applied a stippled layer of liquified putty to create a little rolledsteel texture. We can also see the photo-etched brass exhaust screens and Friulmodel metal tracks
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FEATURE ARTICLE: FINE MOLDS 1:35 IJA TYPE 3 TANK DESTROYER HO-NI III • KIT NO.FM02
For the first colour, the author sprayed Tamiya Acrylic XF-60 Dark Yellow as a basecoat
The entire model received a coat of Revell’s #47 as primer before painting began After this, some Tamiya XF-57 Buff was added to the XF-60 to create a lighter shade to enhance contrast and depth
For the first colour, I sprayed Tamiya’s XF-60 Dark Yellow. After this, I added some Tamiya XF-57 Buff to the XF-60 to create a lighter shade and sprayed this on the higher-up areas to achieve contrast and depth. The remaining colours used for the camouflage are Mr. Hobby products, namely TC 13 Tochi-Iro (earth) and TC 14 Kusa-Iro (Grass green). These are enamel paints, so it is possible to mix them with other enamels to obtain different shades. First, I made soft-masks using UHU-TAC and sprayed the green on the model followed by the brown. Then, using a fine brush, the small details like the tools and the rubber road wheel tyres were painted and the decals were applied. Before I started weathering, I masked off certain areas and then sprayed some Tamiya X-19 Smoke on places where I wanted a darker look. This application was generally performed on areas
which would receive less light or which would be dirtier than the remaining surfaces of the vehicle. Lastly, the entire vehicle received a coat of Tamiya X-35 Semi Gloss Clear to make everything ready for weathering.
WEATHERING
I began weathering with the application of 'filters'. Several layers of filter were applied using dark brown oil colours thinned with Diluent N from Schmincke. This thinner is odourless and dries very fast. This allows the modeller to apply several layers pretty quickly. After the filters, I applied a localised colour-wash using Mig Productions' Dark Wash. I used a fine brush to touch in small details and let the wash flow around them. The semi-gloss surface allowed the wash to easily flow and fill these areas. After
allowing the wash to dry for half an hour, the excess was tidied up with thinner. Now it was time for oil paints. Different shades of different colours were first put on a piece of cardboard to soak up the excess oil in them. Then, small dots of each colour were applied on the model randomly and then blended on the surface using a brush, very lightly dampened with thinner (almost dry). The areas where I wanted a darker look received more dots with darker oil paints, while lighter areas received lighter coloured dots. Afterwards, I used a fine brush and Vallejo and AK Interactive paint to simulate chipped paint. Now it’s time to make the lower hull dirty by simulating dust, dirt and mud. Pigments from CMK, AK Interactive paints and white spirit were mixed in a cup for this. The mixture was applied randomly
The basic camouflage colours are on and await the weathering stages
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After masking off selected areas, Tamiya X-19 Smoke was used to create darkened sections
An airbrushed layer of Tamiya X-35 Semi-Gloss Clear sealed in the paint and decals
Mig Productions’ pre-mixed colour-washes were employed to deepen the moulded surface detail
Various oil-paints were deposited on cardboard to allow most of the oily solvent to soak out, then small dots were applied to the model, subsequently blended in with a neardry paintbrush; just moistened with a hint of white spirit
Here we see the very subtle effect of the blended oil spots, breaking up the plain painted finish
AK and Vallejo acrylics were used to create paint damage on the edges of the armour plate and in areas that might be subject to surface damage
AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: FINE MOLDS 1:35 IJA TYPE 3 TANK DESTROYER HO-NI III • KIT NO.FM02
on the sidewalls of the lower hull using an old brush. After this had dried, I applied only dry pigments. Afterwards, darker colours were used to make another mixture and I dipped a brush into this, and then splashed the mixture on the model by blowing air over it via my airbrush.
TIME TO COMPLETE THE TRACKS!
The tracks were painted with a mixture of brown and black and after that, dry pigments in various shades of earth were applied and fixed in place using pigment fixer. After fitting the tracks in place, I used the darkest colour available from AK Interactive – Fresh Mud – and made splashes on the tracks by dipping a stiff brush into the material (removing the excess) and then blowing air over the brush. Special care is required for this application and you should plan where the mud will be splashed on. This application is also very messy since the colour will splash everywhere on your workbench, so take care! Lastly, I made oil leaks, streaks and similar effects using AK Interactive paints. The tracks and other metallic surfaces received were touched up with a graphite pencil and ModelMaster’s chrome silver to enhance their metallic look. I made a flag by first printing the Japanese battle flag on a thin paper and then sticking it onto very thin foil on both sides. The flag was cemented on a proper sized, in-scale branch and then fitted on the model. And the project was then complete.
A mix of various pigments and solvents were used to create the muddy effect under the track guards and behind the running gear
CONCLUSION
Until quite recently, Japanese tanks were in the background and only received attention from a handful of modellers. It seems this is changing as more and more model producers are issuing new IJA vehicle kits. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, the Pacific Front vehicles of the era might be a different experience for you. I can guarantee you that once you start, you will be hooked on Japanese tanks and will begin planning which should be your next Japanese build. Fine Molds kits are easy to assemble and produce great results in relatively short time. I can definitely recommend their latest kits if you are interested! Many thanks to Emre Efli for the translation of this article. •
MODELSPEC FINE MOLDS 1:35 IJA TYPE 3 TANK DESTROYER HO-NI III KIT NO.FM02 Materials;
This is how the gungy mud looks once dry
Over this, the very messy process of further mud application (blown off a paint brush with the airflow from an airbrush) takes place
Injection-moulded polystyrene, flexible plastic tracks, photo-etched brass, waterslide decals Paints used; Revell; No.47 Mr. Hobby; TC 13 Tochi-Iro (earth), TC 14 Kusa-Iro (Grass green) Tamiya Acrylics; XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-57 Buff, X-19 Smoke, Tamiya X-35 Semi Gloss Clear Mig Productions; Dark Wash AK Interactive; Fresh Mud ModelMaster; Chrome Silver Availability; Out of production, but still can be found on internet auction sites
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Further colour washes and oily effects were created by flicking the mixture off a loaded brush and onto the tracks
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The finished model with its uniquely IJA camouflage colours, softened with creative weathering. The Imperial Japanese flag tops off the model perfectly
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FEATURE ARTICLE: CAMS VICKERS-CARDEN-LOYD LIGHT AMPHIBIOUS TANK A4E12 EARLY PRODUCTION • KIT NO.CV35-001
SHANGHAI
SWIMMER
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The release of the VickersCarden-Loyd amphibious light tank from CAMs (Combat Armour Models) was quite a surprise, as this was a rather novel subject for the first release from this Chinese manufacturer. However, the kit has none of the signs of being a first attempt at a plastic model and the quality of the model is in every way, exceptional. Chris Lloyd-Staples builds the kit
T
he Vickers-Carden-Loyd A4E12 light tank was offered to the British Army in 1931 as a private venture, but was not accepted as suitable for meeting their expected needs. Although some other vehicles from this manufacturer were eventually accepted and developed, such as the Vickers light tanks and the various Carrier types, the amphibious A4E12 was rejected. As with the Vickers 6-ton tank which was also rejected by Britain but went on to shape tank design all over the world, the little VCL amphibious tanks were adopted by other nations and proved the parents of other vehicles, such as the Russian T-37 tankette. The A4E12 was used by several nations, including the Netherlands and China. The version provided in the CAMs kit is for the earlier type, used in China to oppose the Japanese invasion. The slightly later type, with a different turret hatch, different armament and protected lights, has now been released by CAMs as a Dutch vehicle. However, the early model is produced as a Chinese vehicle, and all of the decal options are for Chinese vehicles used in the 1930s, most notably in the defence of Shanghai.
ASSEMBLY
The kit goes together with no difficulty, and in the majority of cases the fit of parts is excellent. I had a little difficulty in the fit of the floats, which form the trackguards, and some gentle filing was needed to get a decent fit of upper and lower parts. The fit of the hull parts was also a little ‘tight’ and some care is needed in getting a good junction between the various hull plates. The detail is so fine that there is little room for error and I suggest testing with some dry-fitting before applying any glue. The instructions are very clear, and the sequencing is important to follow in some places, for example, I plain forgot to fit the sprocket axles (part A28) until I’d assembled the hull, and had to replace these parts. Similarly, the etched brass strips P17 and P13 need to be added before the hinges for the driver’s hatch (parts C19 and C20), as the hinge goes on top of the brass part. It is worth mentioning that the brass parts are very precise and fit well, but require a lot of care and skill in getting them into place. I found it easiest to hold them in place while adding thin superglue to the edges of the parts, but each modeller will find their own solution. The tracks come in ‘link-and-length’ format, and actually go together very easily. It is important to get them facing the right direction, and also remember that no spares are provided; you need every single little track link! AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: CAMS VICKERS-CARDEN-LOYD LIGHT AMPHIBIOUS TANK A4E12 EARLY PRODUCTION • KIT NO.CV35-001
Preparation
The completed model needed very little in the way of added detail, other than wires to the lights and a replaced handle. The headlights do not come with any clear lenses, and into the open light fitting I added small silver lenses from my spares box. These turned out to be a little too small, so I finally added a tiny blob of Araldite epoxy glue, which formed into a perfect lens for the light. My only other improvement was to carefully cut a slit in the end of the exhaust pipe, as this part (B17) is moulded without an opening. The model was carefully washed in soapy water to remove any dust and oily fingerprints, in preparation for painting. And yes, it does float!
Painting
I gave the model an overall dark green undercoat to get paint into every recess and form the basis of later work. Onto this base colour, I added areas of pale grey, pale tan and reddish brown, following the pattern provided in the instruction sheet. This pattern is very realistic for tanks in use in the Canton Province, and the result looked pleasing. I use Vallejo paints for this sort of job, as my preferred Tamiya paints do not respond well to brush-painting. On these vehicles, the areas of colour are surrounded with a very fine black line, and I replicated this with a fine permanent marker pen. The result was excellent, until I sprayed matt varnish over the surface. Disaster struck! The acrylic varnish dissolved the marker pen ink, and each black line became a huge swirl of colour. I now realise the way to avoid this is: (a) to paint the thin black lines using normal enamel paint, or (b) to use an enamel varnish instead of acrylic, or (c) to use the varnish in light sweeps, allowing it to dry fully before adding more. The next few evenings involved attempting to touch up the worst areas, and then re-varnishing to tie everything together. The end result was not as good as I’d have liked…
The moulded tracks offer excellent ‘sag’ in a way that one-piece tracks just cannot
An overview revealing the upper deck detail, which is exemplary
The shrouded propeller and associated struts can be seen here
Weathering
The vehicles were actually about five years old by the time they were used in Shanghai, and weathering is quite visible in photos of the period. I sprayed the suspension with Tamiya XF-52 Dark Earth, followed by lighter sprays of XF-55 Deck Tan and finally XF-57 Buff to give a gradation to the earthy dust colour. In particular, the pale Buff colour looks best if sprayed downwards, simulating the effect of sunlight on upper surfaces. Having got the dust onto the suspension and lower hull areas, I used a colour-wash of very dilute dark brown oil paint to enhance details, and when this was fully dry – which can take a couple of days – I drybrushed light dust colours and used the usual soft pencil for simulating worn metal and oil paint for scratches.
Creating a base
An ideal display base would have this tank crawling into a rice paddy, but I needed something quicker. I used Tile Cement from a DIY shop to give a good ground surface in a generally ‘earth’ colour, and to get some ruts I pushed the tank into this while the surface still yielded a bit. To avoid the risk of the tank sticking at this stage, a layer of cling-film can be spread on the surface first. Once the surface had dried fully, a selection of vegetation was added and lightly sprayed with brown and green colours in order to avoid the various materials looking too toy-like. The final step was to add the tank into the prepared ruts, holding it in place with PVA glue.
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Within that extraordinary, floating deck lies a small, British light-tank
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OVERALL IMPRESSION
This model from CAMs is very good in all respects and somewhat more accurate than the resin kits of the A4E12 which have been produced previously. As an alternative colour scheme, the model could be completed in overall green for a British factory trials vehicle, or for one of several sent to the Soviet Union for evaluation. An unusual vehicle, in whatever situation it is placed, and well worth added to your collection. •
MODELSPEC CAMS VICKERS-CARDEN-LOYD LIGHT AMPHIBIOUS TANK A4E12 EARLY PRODUCTION KIT NO.CV35-001 Materials; Injection-moulded polystyrene, photo-etched brass Availability; www.hannants.co.uk
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FULL-BUILD: SCRATCHBUILT FIGURES
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Marijn van Gils describes in detail how he created this highly original vignette of two ‘Force Publique de Congo’ soldiers of the 1915 Belgian Colonial Army, on look-out duties POSING OF THE LOWER FIGURE
A basic skeleton was made by combining homemade resin torso and pelvis parts, a Hornet head and Historex naked feet with brass wire. Care was to taken to get the proportions correct. The brass wire was left protruding from the bottom of the feet, as these will later on serve as pins to firmly attach the figure to the base
The skeleton is posed. Note the tilt of pelvis and shoulders, slight inward bend of the knees and how the back has already quite a lot of curve to it. Although this may look quite simple, it is probably the most crucial phase of the sculpting and I spend quite a lot of time on it
The skeleton is frozen with a small application of Magic Sculpt. This will also give a grip for the next layer of putty. In between sculpting sessions, I like to harden the putty quickly by placing the figure in a hot-air oven for thirty minutes at 60°C. The alternative is waiting until the next day
The body was fleshed out. Note again the curve of the back. I just try to get a crude image of what the guy would look like naked. Details are not important at this stage, but the volumes are. When these are in place, it is simply a matter of adding the clothes in subsequent layers
W1 truly was a world war. Not only were people from all over the world (Africa, India, the Far East, America, New-Zealand, ...) involved in the fighting in Europe, but fierce battles were fought in the Middle East, West, South and East-Africa and even in the Far East. The combat in East Africa is one of these often forgotten wars, but a very interesting one. A small German force under the extremely capable Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck managed to keep fighting throughout the war against an Allied force often ten times bigger, to surrender only on November 19th, 1918 and on their own terms. The German goal was to keep a large amount of enemy troops engaged in Africa, so they couldn’t fight on the Western Front. By staying very mobile and using guerilla tactics, they managed to do so and stay out of the hands of the enemy. The Allied forces consisted of British (including Indian and South-African), Portuguese and Belgian troops. Belgium had the vast colony of Congo, bordering with German East Africa at lake Kivu and lake Tanganyika. In the beginning of the war, the Belgian colonial forces were completely unprepared for fighting a war and it took them until early 1916 to launch any offensive action. Until that time, they had to build up troop strength and transport masses of supplies and weapons over vast distances in very primitive conditions. All they could do in the meantime was defend their borders as good as possible against raids from German troops and send a small force to help out the British troops. When ready though, the Belgians were very successful, penetrated deep into German East Africa and achieved all the set goals. For this they were rewarded after the war with the fertile and densely populated areas of Rwanda and Burundi. The two soldiers I modelled are part of the ‘Force Publique de Congo’, the Belgian colonial army, which consisted mostly of indigenous people, lead by white officers. The scene is set in 1915, the period in which the army was still busy organising. German troops were in control of the lakes on the border and often raided the Congolese shores. These guys are on one of the old river-boats that were rushed into services for patrols, and are looking out for any sign of enemy presence. The vignette was inspired by a wartime photograph, but I altered some details to my liking. I don’t like copying pictures exactly as I feel this limits my creativity, so I use other sources to make variations. Primitive fighting conditions, lack of supplies and the harsh climate caused a lot of improvisation during the East-African campaign, which creates many modelling possibilities. The top guy is wearing an interim-solution jacket for example and both soldiers have different styles of ammunition pouches. The top guy’s fez has a cover, while the bottom one’s doesn’t, but he is wearing puttees while the top one has none. The long vertical composition appealed to me a lot, together with the turning motion of the top soldier. I wanted to tell a little bit about the strength, endurance and sense of humour of the indigenous soldiers, so these poses fitted perfectly. A little different from what I mostly see at shows and in magazines, so just the kind of scene I like doing! •
AFV Edition
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FULL-BUILD: SCRATCHBUILT FIGURES
Posing of the top figure
Sculpting puttees
The right leg has already received puttees, while the left one only has the basic musculature in place
A thin layer of Duro putty was applied and smoothed with a sanded toothpick
While soft, the pattern was pressed in with the flat side of a scalpel, working round-and-round, from the top down
The edges were cleaned up and the surfaces smoothed with a rounded sculpting tool
Finally, small folds were pressed in with a sanded toothpick and a needle. Next, the figure was placed in a hot-air oven at 60°C for thirty minutes for the Duro to harden
The painted puttees!
Top left: For strength, I made brass wires that run all through the feet up until the pelvis. I had to attach them this way because of the way the figure stands on the shoulders of the bottom one Top right: Skeleton of the upper figure posed. Note again the turn and tilt in the pelvis and torso parts Middle row left: The complete setup at this stage Middle row right: The upper skeleton was also fleshed out and the composition test-fitted on the base with only the wooden pole installed at this stage. Brass wire for the arms was now also installed, with Hornet hands attached. The hands holding the pole had their fingers removed as they will need to be re-sculpted directly on the pole for a tight fit Left: With the arms fleshed out we are starting to get an idea of how the scene will look. The two figures are not glued together or to the base at this point but only test-fitted
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Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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Sculpting ammunition pouches: top figure
Top left: An oversized blob of Magic Sculpt was placed on the figure and formed into a crude basic shape Top centre: After hardening, this was cut and scraped down to the correct shape with a scalpel Top right: Another blob of putty was applied and spread out to a crude and oversized flap Far left: Again, this was cut and scraped to shape after hardening Left: The painted result. Note that details like seams are simply painted on and not sculpted. The scratches and cracks were hand-painted after basic highlighting and shading
Getting those feet to fit the shoulders Far left: After as much as possible of the sculpting is done, the pins of the upper figure were inserted in pre-drilled holes in the shoulders of the lower one and two figures are firmly glued together Centre: View of both of the Historex feet before retouching Left: The feet were cut down a lot and completely reworked with Magic Sculp to give them the correct ‘sit’ on the shoulders. This means that detail like the toes also needs to be re-sculpted
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AFV Edition
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FULL-BUILD: SCRATCHBUILT FIGURES
Sculpting finished
Groundwork Far left and left; The groundwork was built with thin sheet wood and basswood strips, gluing nylon rope in between every plank to mimic the tarred rope of the real thing. The bucket was scratchbuilt from pewter sheet and copper wire and the scrubbing brush is a cut down paintbrush (yes, an old and used one!)
Below: The painted groundwork. Care was taken to match the dusty look of the figures. This was done with heavily thinned dusty Humbrol colours, after the basic wood had been painted
Four views of the figures before painting, except the face of the top figure which has been base-coated. They will be painted together as one very tall figure, but separately from the groundwork.
Painting dark skin tones
Face and legs were base-coated with a mix of Humbrol 33, 62 and 60, with some 110 added to get rid of any orangey shine and some 61 to break the colour a little. The fez has been highlighted in this pic
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Highlighting was done by adding more 62 and 61 to the mix. The fez and the hair have been finished meanwhile
Face and feet have been shaded with very much diluted Black 33, using both layering and varying the consistency to build up the shadows
The face is finished: the eyes have been painted and lips, earlobes and cheeks have been accentuated with very much thinned Humbrol Wine 73. A satin varnish was applied to even out the shine and give a skin-like satin finish. The feet have also received this satin coat and after hardening 110 and 61 have been applied and feathered out in a stippling motion to create the dust, keeping it matt to contrast with the skin
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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Sculpting the hands: upper figure
Because the hand is holding on the wooden pole, I could only sculpt them after painting and attaching the figures to the pole. This is how the fingers looked when just attached to the pole
Four oversized fingers were added
Fingers were reworked after hardening, the thumb then added and refined …and then painted
Making the feet fit the ground
The wooden decking caused a slight gap under the feet which needed filling to avoid a ‘floating’ look
The gap was filled with Magic Sculpt
Here we see the painted result
Argh! Problems…
When I attached the figures to the base, I had to apply some pressure to glue the hands of the bottom guy to the pole. This apparently caused the left foot of the upper guy to crack from the shoulders of the lower figure, leaving half of his toes on those shoulders! In addition to this, the leg also cracked where the Historex feet met the rest of the leg. This is just the place were you want your figure to crack, no?
Luckily, the solution was simple enough: the crack at the toes and bottom of the foot was filled with Magic Sculpt and the toes recarved after hardening. The thin gap in the leg was filled with superglue Right: And the damaged areas were repainted. You see, anything broken can be fixed!
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AFV Edition
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KIT PREVIEW: TIGER MODEL PANHARD VBL LIGHT ARMOURED VEHICLE • KIT NO.4603
FRANCE’S TINY TOUGH TAXI Stan Spooner opens the box on Tiger Model’s 1:35 Panhard VBL armoured car
A
s of late, the plastic model manufacturers have provided an almost infinite selection of modern armoured vehicle kits. It seems you can find US, German, Russian, Czech and many other countries’ armoured vehicles but French vehicles have been conspicuously missing from the pack. With this in mind, a new Chinese manufacturer, Tiger Models Limited, recently released 1:35 kits of the AMX10 and the Panhard VBL, both welcome additions to our never-ending choices. The VBL has been in service with the French Army since the 1990s it has been used all over the world from Bosnia to Kosovo, Somalia to Mali as well as in Afghanistan. This vehicle comes in a lot of different configurations but this kit represents the standard reconnaissance version. The overall presentation of the box cover art as well as the clear and crisp thirteen-step instructions are very Tamiya-esque. If you’re going to style your product after someone, it might as well be a wellestablished industry leader. When you open the box of the VBL, you are greeted with five bags of green plastic, a presentation card with no less than
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four separate bags including decals, photo-etch, a sprue of clear windows and lenses and lastly a braided metal rope to represent the tow cable. All the parts seem to be moulded with extremely crisp detail. All of the doors and hatches have excellent detail inside and out. There are a few ejector-pin marks to be dealt with but nothing that cannot be solved with very little trouble. The body is slide-moulded in a top and bottom section and the fit is flawless. The undercarriage is well detailed and the wishbone and torsion bar suspension are well represented. It looks like Tiger Model has even captured the offset on the rear torsion bar suspension; kudos to Tiger Model Limited for paying attention to the details. Lastly the rear propeller assembly attached to the differential is clean and crisp, an important element for this kit as the VBL is an amphibious vehicle. The vinyl tyres are beautifully detailed, with perfect sidewall detail with Michelin markings as well as the corresponding wheel size and pressure information. The tread pattern looks to be accurate and I’m sure they will paint up
beautifully. The decals are clean and crisp and represent two different vehicles both in the NATO paint scheme. This model represents a standard reconnaissance version with tons of detail both inside and out. Detail abounds, heck…. just completing the interior of this very small vehicle takes seven steps! That’s impressive.. •
AVAILABILITY; www.tiger-model.com UK and worldwide availability to be confirmed. MiM’s OPINION? As I am not an expert on this vehicle I’m sure some who are will find fault in someway but from this layman’s perspective it should build up to be a very nice representation of this iconic but small French military vehicle. This kit is highly recommended for all of you who love modern armour and wheeled vehicles
Military Illustrated Modeller - December 2015
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BOOK REVIEWS FORGOTTEN ARCHIVES 1 THE LOST SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS DARREN NEELY, PANZERWRECKS ISBN 978-1-908032-11-9 £32.99 plus shipping. Available from good bookshops and www.panzerwrecks.com The latest volume from Panzerwrecks has arrived at TMMI and this time, it’s not just about wrecked WW2 German armour, but focuses more attention on US tanks and other vehicles, documenting them as they advanced into Europe, following Operation Overlord on June 6th 1944. Fans of the M4 Sherman will relish the imagery here; it’s certainly not the only US tank depicted, but the photos of them are fantastic and really stimulate the imagination; just in time for Tamiya’s new-tool M4A3E8. Other US armour covered by the book includes the M18 Hellcat, M10 Tank Destroyer, 75mm HMC, M3A1 halftrack, M5 High Speed Tractor, T26E3 Pershing, M7 Priest, M32 ARV, M29 Weasel, M36, M5A1 and more, plus Jeeps galore. German vehicles are covered too of course and we are treated to some detailed views of the Panther, Jagdpanther, Hetzer, Hummel, Sturmgeschutz, Sd.Kfz.251 halftrack and more. All photos are in pin-sharp black and white and printed in landscape format, gloss paper which really shows up the whole range of tones from pure black through subtle greys to the bright white of the paper. There are so many diorama ideas here it’s hard to know where to start, suffice to say that if you need a source of inspiration for WW2 European dioramas, this new production is the place to look. MN
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PK CAMERAMAN NO.1, PANZERJÄGER IN THE WEST 1944 RZM PUBLISHING ISBN 978-0-9748389-6-0 £35 plus shipping. Available from good bookshops and www.adhbooks.com (search ‘PK’) The Propaganda Kompanie (PK) photographers of the Second World War German military followed the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS around the world to all the theatres of operation in which they were involved and thus were exposed to a vast amount of combat action. They took over two million stillimages and miles of film footage (edited and censored to show only heroic imagery to the masses) used in Goebbel’s extraordinarily effective propaganda campaign throughout the war. In this ninety-six page, hard-backed volume (from 2013) the reader is treated to a large format (30x30cm) presentation, printed on high grade, matt-finished art paper that has been produced with a strong emphasis on photographic quality. This is just as well, because the photos are of astonishing quality and anything less than perfection would have been a travesty. The focus of this, the first volume, is on Panzerjäger-Abteilung 19(L) during a transfer from the town of Eeklo to new barracks in Zedelgem Belgium, February 1944. From a technical point of view, the PK photographer who documented this exercise (a fellow named Kurth) was clearly quite a talent as his work is all well composed, in focus and perfectly exposed. The Marder IIIs he shot are from a 1. Kompanie platoon of four vehicles and are all in ‘as-new’ condition, and show the machines in great detail, revealing weld seams, casting textures, bolt, rivet and screw patterns, track and running gear, equipment fit and much more. From the preceding descriptions you can appreciate how sharp and close-up the photos are. Also clearly visible in the photos are areas of scratched-off paint (particularly the final photo in the book, showing a 2cm FlaK) and it’s fascinating to observe how this surface damage is limited to working areas and crew-access zones only, as well as where the fenders have rubbed up against something solid. The remaining painted surfaces are largely unblemished. The Marders are seen in a variety of settings; lined up tidily in the town square, rolling through countryside on un-made roads, driving practice in villages near the barracks and arriving in Zedelgem from Eeklo. All the machines are seen in plain Dunkelgelb, awaiting their combat camouflage and unit markings. As well as the extensive coverage of Marder IIIs and their crews, Kurth the PK photographer also captured Sd.Kfz.7s towing PaK40s and a re-chambered French Model 1897 7.5cm gun. Also shown are captured/modified Ford Eiffel cars that have been painted up in full three-colour schemes, towing 2cm FlaK 38s. Some wonderful modelling ideas are in evidence here. To sum up, this is an extraordinary record of German vehicular manoeuvres in the pre-D-Day months in a relatively quiet mainland Europe; the calm before the storm, as it were. The photos are an absolute gold mine of imagery and the not unreasonable purchase price makes this a ‘must-have’ for armour modellers. Very highly recommended. MN
AFV Edition
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MODELLING REFERENCES: THEODOR BRUNO KANONE E.722 24CM CANNON
THEODOR BRUNO KANONE WW2 German railway gun at Torigni sur Vire, Normandy
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hotographed in August 1944, we see a German ‘Theodor Bruno Kanone’ E.722 24cm cannon on a railway platform at Torigni sur Vire station, about eight miles south of Saint-Lo, Normandy. Six of these weapons were made by Krupp between 1937 and 1939. It could fire a massive 24cm round to a range of twelve and a half miles. The gun pictured here has tarpaulins draped over it in an attempt at camouflage, plus fuel drums on its forward track bogie. US MPs inspect this monster, following the brutal fighting in the small town which resulted in almost complete destruction and many civilian casualties. Torigni sur Vire was liberated on the of 2nd August, 1944 by the US 134th IR 35th ID.
IN MODEL FORM
The only kit currently available of the Theodor Bruno (that we are aware of) is by 5 Star Models in 1:72 scale (www.jadar.com.pl) but other railway guns (Trumpeter) could be used to replicate this scene in 1:35. •
AFV Edition
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For the serious Modeller
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DRAGON’S 1:35 T34-76 MOD. 1941 IN FULL WINTER SCHEME
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RS Model’s Fokker D,XXI • Tamiya’s Opel Blitz & Eduard’s Bf 109 • Roden’s T-28B Trojan; G-6 • Wingnut Wings’ Fokker D.VII • QMHE 2015 Show Report • and more…
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ISSUE No.056 December 2015
Aircraft Edition - Brett Green AFV Edition - Marcus Nicholls Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall, Colin Trundle Advertising Manager; Sean Leslie Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MIM Website; ADH Web Team Editors;
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The Editor builds Kinetic’s new 1:48 Mirage IIIE as an RAAF IIIO and offers some handy walk around reference
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Dave Aungst builds Roden’s 1:48 T-28D Trojan
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MR CHURCHILL’S TANK
AFV Club’s Churchill AVRE, brought to life
PHASED PLASMA RIFLE IN THE 40-WATT RANGE
Well, it’s not quite armed with that weapon, but Zvezda’s new 1:35 kit of the Russian Terminator certainly does look futuristic
MASKED-UP BAITER
Tamiya’s 1:35 Hetzer hull, painted with Mxpression masks © ADH Publishing 2015
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SIGN OFF – FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR
DIORAMAS YOU
MUST BUILD
BEFORE YOU DIE... VILLAGE GUN POSITION
US troops with their M5 AT gun in Normandy
I
n this scene, we see three US artillerymen from the 607th TD Bn, 90th US ID manning their 76.2mm M5 anti-tank gun at a junction in the Normandy town of Le Bourg-Saint-Léonard, east of Argentan. The photograph was taken in front of a large building (a hotel perhaps?), which faced up the D16 road, giving the crew a reasonable view to the north. The building is no longer there, the location now being occupied by a roundabout for the D16 and D926 roads that run through the village. This large and powerful artillery piece sits behind a rock wall of broken masonry and has been camouflaged with wooden shutters from the building; there’s even one laying atop the gun barrel. Note how effective the four wooden planks are in breaking up the instantly recognisable outline of the gun carriage’s wheel; a potential lifesaver from marauding enemy attackers.
The M5 in kit form;
AFV Club’s 1:35 model of the M5 (No.35181) is a detailed and accurate kit and would be perfect for this scene in miniature form. www.pocketbond.co.uk
[email protected] See you again next time!
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NEW FROM ADH PUBLISHING
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Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering
Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama
Aleksandar Počuč
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